Seishin Takeno's "Echoes," a sonic postcard from Kanagawa. Nine instrumental pieces, I've been told. Not nine songs, mind you – more like nine shaded windows into a particular kind of quiet. This isn't music that yells; it leans in, like a friend confiding a secret you half-hear on a summer porch. Immediately, you're not so much listening as remembering. Or maybe anticipating. It feels...

Big O, an American hip hop producer, recording and mixing engineer, and DJ, has dished out this new album he calls “When It’s Not Said, But Done.” This album is a dedication to the art of starting over. It shows the artist's subtle choice to try out new sounds and break old habits. He wants to make something real, without having to make assurances or statements,...